Thread: Stropping is King

Yes I am, but I am specifically concerned about the strop. The one you use and the one recommended for the experiment are VASTLY different.

Originally Posted by honedright

Alan,

You are adding this for a little bit of sarcastic bite aren't you? I mean, I am using pretty much the same stuff everyone else uses.

Without using the emoticons, it's a little hard to tell the intensions behind some of the comments.

Scott

Originally Posted by honedright

I've used the best words I can come up with to describe what I do. Videos as well. Can you describe the sense of balance/coordination you have when riding a bike? Or is it best to experience it yourself?



???

Yes, its called "balance". That simple. But if you can't describe the results of an experiment than its a waste of time. Lets try an experiment where you combine all the strops in the world with all the carbon or stainless razors and see what happens. Oh, wait, you won't be able to describe what happens will you? A better experiment would be to fund your attendance in a communication or English class, and see if you can describe what your doing afterwards.

The frustrating part about this is that I believe you!

Lets try some basic communication ideas: Hold your arm out and place a magazine, a kleenex, and a brick on your outstretched arm. Now which one most closely resembles the pressure you use downward on a strop?

And please don't tell me its an undescribable feeling you have from years of experience, unless you walk around with a brick on your arm routinely.

And if it really is simply something you learn from 20 years of experience, than we can drop the whole thing and we'll have a good laugh about it in 2027.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

A better experiment would be to fund your attendance in a communication or English class, and see if you can describe what your doing afterwards.

With all due respect, this sarcasm is out of line.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Yes I am, but I am specifically concerned about the strop. The one you use and the one recommended for the experiment are VASTLY different.

Right! And if he can do it, it proves that it's not the strop. I would want to know that before I tried his approach.

Originally Posted by xman

ok thanks guys, I think I get it. All I need to know is if it will proceed and whether there will be a new thread for the purpose. I am kind of trying something like this on my own anyhow, stropping my W&B as much as recommended by The Grand Experiment and seeing if it can extend the life of the razor beyond what I'm used to and how far. I guess I should let you all know how that goes.

X

I think that's an important experiment. Please let us know if you discover anything in stropping that has a significant effect. For example, I wouldn't worry too much about making it out to six months. If you now hone every two months and you consistently extend that by 2-3 weeks, that would be something I'd love to hear about and try myself.

I'm thinking of another experiment. What would I have to put on a strop to get the results Scott does- strop with that only, indefinitely. I estimated a grit equivalent to about .05 microns might work, but I have no idea what is that fine. If anybody here knows about such things, I'd like to get their input.

I'm pretty sure diamond abrasives can be made that fine. One supplier had 0.10, so .05 isn't that much of a stretch.

I'd say Scott has very light beard.

But.

My friend is using a straight razor for over 25 years, shaves daily with a rotation of 4 razors, 2 of which are stainless Henkells, his strop is pasted with red paste, and he uses a daily dab of shaving lather before each shave. The strop has a very sleek, waxy feel, and he is using a bit of pressure, I'd say 3-4 times the weight of the razor. He is honing his razors once a year, with circular honing pattern, on a 4x1.5" yellow Coticule...

Nenad

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Yes, its called "balance". That simple. But if you can't describe the results of an experiment than its a waste of time. Lets try an experiment where you combine all the strops in the world with all the carbon or stainless razors and see what happens. Oh, wait, you won't be able to describe what happens will you? A better experiment would be to fund your attendance in a communication or English class, and see if you can describe what your doing afterwards.

The frustrating part about this is that I believe you!

Lets try some basic communication ideas: Hold your arm out and place a magazine, a kleenex, and a brick on your outstretched arm. Now which one most closely resembles the pressure you use downward on a strop?

And please don't tell me its an undescribable feeling you have from years of experience, unless you walk around with a brick on your arm routinely.

And if it really is simply something you learn from 20 years of experience, than we can drop the whole thing and we'll have a good laugh about it in 2027.

Alan,

I believe that somewhere in this thread I mentioned using enough pressure to get draw, or resistance on the razor. You want to know how much pressure in an objective way? Like millimeters mercury? I don't have a way to messure that.

The only tests I rely on are subjective: the thumb nail, thumb pad, hanging hair, and of course shaving itself.

Also, I don't know how long it takes to learn what I do. It took me a long time because I did it on my own. I had no idea it was possible or impossible. I had no mentor or guide like SRP. My 25+ years haven't all been sucesses, but trial and error. Wins and looses. That is the reason I brought it up in this thread. To help jump start the learning process. Someone with good motor skills, and who is attentive may be able to duplicate what I do in a week, or even in a day. But then they'd have to go at least 6 months to be sure they are getting the desired results.

Also, I never said don't use pastes and hones to refresh, re-hone. It just seemed to me that, based on what I was reading here on SRP, they were being used to much, too often. If you, or others are getting good results with your current methods, and you are happy with it then why change? If not happy, then I've suggested a possible alternative. Works for me.

Scott

I, for one, would like to thank Scott for trying to share some of his expertise on the subject of stropping. Looks to me like he is pretty good at it. I am a little different in that I trust everyone until they show me I can't.

I also think he has shown a whole lot more patience towards some pretty antagonistic comments than I could have. Wanting to learn the technique and attacking it are two different things.

Maybe future questions and comments could be made so they don't chase him off. Learning something new should be encouraged, I would think. I'm also thinkin' no one should be mad if someone else knows more about something than they do ~ it's not their fault.

Let me say one thing here. If I made anything clear, it is that I took Scott at his word. I was even willing to let him use the new strop on his own and come back with his result. On the basis of his word alone, I was willing to proceed with my offer and pay for the strop if he got it to work. I think that shows trust, and I hope Scott understands that.

what I don't understand is the peple who are saying that I questioned his word or insulted him in any. I assure you I'm just trying to understand what's going on and , hopefully, reproduce it. But first, we need to rule out the most likely cause.

Scott, I hope you understand this, and if I offended you in any way I apologize.